Engine Sat for A Year and a Half

Finally finishing my cafe project. It has been started in almost two years. What is the best procedure to get it running again? It ran fine when I started. Pull plugs squirt in some oil, turn it over without plugs first?

2 years? I'd change the oil and filter, remove the spark plugs, and squirt a little oil in the cylinders before hand turning the engine over in the normal rotation. 2 years shouldn't be all that bad, as long as you have kept the intake and exhaust ports blocked off. Oil should be remaining on the bearings and piston walls, but just how clean the oil remaining in there at the time of storage if any at all, is is another story. You might even want to go as far as removing the valve cover, and pouring some oil over the cam lobes, but that might not be necessary.

How was the engine stored?

Muddy wrote:

Finally finishing my cafe project. It has been started in almost two years. What is the best procedure to get it running again? It ran fine when I started. Pull plugs squirt in some oil, turn it over without plugs first?

Would also suggest:
Drain carb bowls;
Remove, disassemble and clean petcock;
Remove and flush fuel tank;
Change oil and filter;
Install new in-line fuel filter;
Inspect battery, add water if needed, and charge it up;
Check and air-up tires;
If applicable, check tightness of spokes;
Check and lube chain;
Check brakes for proper functioning;
General lube of moving parts;
Overall inspect tightness of nuts and bolts.

And undoubtedly other items not immediately coming to mind.

Good Luck!

Would also check condition of brake fluid, and change it if needed, using same type fluid.

The easy way is to remove most of the old fluid from master cylinder, but leave enough to cover the bottom holes and keep air from getting into the system.

Add fresh fluid, then pump through lines out the bleeder until new fluid appears, being careful not to let the m/c run dry.

When done flushing, top up the m/c.

Tip -- A hand-sprayer on a bottle of household rubbing alcohol is one way to clean and rinse errant brake fluid from the master cylinder and calipers. Then towel and blow-dry.

Good Luck!

It was just in the frame while I built the project around it. THe exhaust and airbox have been off for about 8 months, but I blocked off the carbs and exhaust ports.

Patton wrote:

Would also check condition of brake fluid, and change it if needed, using same type fluid.

The easy way is to remove most of the old fluid from master cylinder, but leave enough to cover the bottom holes and keep air from getting into the system.

Add fresh fluid, then pump through lines out the bleeder until new fluid appears, being careful not to let the m/c run dry.

When done flushing, top up the m/c.

Good Luck!

I shouldn't have to worry about the other stuff. It has a new tank, brakes, forks, etc.

My first 750 twin had been parked in the pole barn for 10 years when my brother gave it to me.
I hooked a battery charger to the 11 year old battery, turned on the gas and the ignition and kicked till it started. Then I rode it home on 10 year old gas (11 miles).

This past year I have had to start both gas and diesel motors that hadn't been touched in 10 years or more, in all cases where water had not got into the cylinders, starting involved merely replacing the batteries.


Since you do plan on riding it sooner or later, you might as well do all the stuff others have suggested. The equipment discussed in the example above was merely being moved about the yard.

Along with the above info, I would suggest this:

Pull the spark plugs.

Drain the oil and use the kickstarter to pump the remaining old oil out.

Install new filter.

Put in clean oil.

Use the kickstarter to pump the clean oil fully up and through before firing it up. This may take a few minutes, but you really don't want to crank it up on dry bearings unless you are selling it soon.

Year and a half? One of my bikes(kz650) sat in a cold/hot aluminum shed for 21 years another(kz750) sat in a hay barn for 15 years and yet another(GL500) in a cellar for 11 years. Bro had a 63' HD/Ameracci that sat in a barn for 30+ years. A year and a half is a short nap! IMHO